Sounds of Learning

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week we'll take a look at the myth of Phaedra and see how it inspired other composers and playwrights in preparation for the premiere of Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra. Video Clip of the Week!! The myth of Phaedra has inspired many great artists, musicians, and playwrights. The three most famous interpretations of the Phaedra myth are the plays by Euripedes, Seneca, and Racine. Although each playwright has a different interpretation of the story the main ideas of the plot remain. Phaedra is the wife of Theseus, the king of Athens and a great Greek hero. Phaedra has fallen in love with Hippolytus, her stepson. She knows that her feelings are immoral but too strong to contain, so she confronts Hippolytus. Hippolytus rejects her. Phaedra falls into despair and commits suicide, leaving a note for her husband saying that Hippolytus raped her. Theseus becomes infuriated with his stepson and asks the God of the Sea, Poseidon, to avenge...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week begins our look at the upcoming U.S. premiere of Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra . We'll see a preview of the opera and take a look at Henze other works. Video Clip of the Week! This week we will take a look at an interview with tenor John Mark Ainsley. Ainsley played Hippolyt in the the 2010 production of Phaedra in London. In the video clip he discusses the music, the story, and the strange circumstances surrounding the creation of Phaedra. Website of the week! Although he is turning 83 years old in July, Hans Werner Henze is still writing operas to this day! Check out this link to learn more about the composer and his other works. Join us for A Taste of Opera! On Sunday, May 22, 2011 from 2:00-3:00pm the Opera Company of Philadelphia is hosting a round table discussion on Hans Werner Henze's Phaedra. Joining us will be members from the cast and the artistic and production teams. The discussion will be moderated by t...

Welcome Students and Teachers to Opera Online! This week we will be wrapping up our discussion on Tosca. There are two more chances to see Tosca , Friday, May 6th at 8 PM and Sunday, May 8th at 2:30 PM. A reminder for teachers, please send in your surveys for Tosca . Students please send us your thoughts on Tosca, whether you loved it or hated it. Your review should be at least 50 words or more. I nclude your first name, school and grade in your post. Don't forget to support your opinion! Video Clips of the Week! Liked Tosca ? This week's video clips feature other great Puccini operas. The first clip is from La Fanciulla del West which translates to "The Golden Girl of the West". The Opera takes place in California during the 1850's gold rush. A mysterious stranger, Johnson, shows up at the miner's camp and falls in love with the local bar owner, Minnie. The sheriff Rance, who is in love with Minnie himself, is suspicious of the newcomer and discovers that J...

Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw the final dress rehearsal of Puccini's Tosca on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at the Academy of Music. Now that you've studied the opera and seen it, what were your impressions? Tell us what you think and post your reviews here! Did you like the opera? Why or why not? Which was your favorite character and why? Did you like the costumes and sets? Who was your favorite singer? Which singer had the best and most im pressive singing voice? Your review should be at least 50 words or more. Please include your first name, school and grade in your post. Don't forget to support your opinion! Click here if you want to learn more about these operas, the singers in the production, and more! Messag e from the Production Staff: We want to thank all participating schools for their wonderful behavior during the dress rehearsal! You were the best Co-Producers the Opera Company of Philadelphia has ever seen! A...

Welcome Teachers and Students to Opera Online !! This weeks webisode feature the singers who will be performing in Tosca . We'll take a look at the opera singers who will be portraying the roles of Tosca, Cavaradossi, and Scarpia. Video Clips of the Week!! In this video clip of the week we'll get a preview of the artists who will be playing Tosca, Cavaradossi, and Scarpia. All three opera singers will be making their debut at the Opera Company of Philadelphia. The first video clip is of soprano Adina Nitescu, who will be playing Tosca. Nitescu is best known not only for her moving protrayal of Tosca, but also for performances as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's Madame Butterfly and Mannon in Puccini's Mannon Lescaut . This video clip is from Mannon Lescaut at Glyndebourne Festival in 1997. Nitescu plays Mannon, a young woman who has left the man that she loves for wealth and security. In the clip she entertains the guest of the household by singing a minuet. The second clip...

Welcome Teachers and Students to Opera Online!! This week we will take a look at the popularity of Tosca throughout the world. We will also take a virtual tour of Rome. Video Clip of the Week!! Tosca is one of Puccini's most famous operas. The music from Tosca has been used in films and has been covered by many non-opera singers. The first video clip features a section of the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace . The main villian is having a meeting with his accomplices in the middle of a modernized performance of Tosca . James Bond has stolen an ear piece and is listening in on the conversation. Try and figure out what song from Tosca is playing in the background. Why would the director of the movie choose that music to use in the background? The second clip is a cover of the tenor aria "E lucevan le stelle" by rocker Michael Bolton. Bolton is best known for his songs and soft rock cover. He is most famous for his cover of "When a Man Loves a Woman" and writi...

Welcome teachers and students to Opera Online! A special welcome to Kraig H., Darnell B., Samantha C., Naseer C., Kiayonah B., Shakera C., Essence J., Alexis M., James B., Brandon T., Janaya R., Carlos C., Lauren S., Gionna from Lankenau High School! This week we will take a look at Act III of Tosca and challenge your knowledge of the opera! Video Clips of the Week! The first video clip is a cartoon of Cavaradossi's aria "E lucevan le stelle" (Student Handbook pg 31). The cartoonist uses the angel of death to foreshadow Cavaradossi's impending execution. He also adds a flashback to Scarpia's murder from the previous act. The second clip is the finale of Act III from the first video production of Tosca in 1976 (Student Handbook, pg 32). The final video clip is Act III of the Lego production. Cartoon "E lucevanle stelle" (No subtitles) 1976 Production of Tosca, Plácido Domingo , Raina Kabaivanska , and Mario Ferrara (English Subtitles) Lego Synopsis o...

Welcome teachers and students to Opera Online! A special welcome to Kenya W, Shantelle S, Tony L, Chebria B, Tammi O, Glori C, Dominique T, Linnette B, Antonee M, and Kiana J from Lankenau High School! This week we will take a look at Act II of Tosca and see how Tosca relates to current world events. Video clips of the week!! The first clip comes from the 1992 real time production of Tosca (Student Handbook pg 25 to pg 28). This scene is actually filmed in on of the appartments of the Farnese Palace . Fun fact about the production: since the opera was filmed at the specific historical landmarks there was no place to put the orchestra without it being seen on camera! The opera singers were outfitted with tiny, radio transmitters plugged in their ears, which enabled them to hear the orchestra playing the accompaniments in the studio as the singers actually sang live in their respective locations. The second clip is Scarpia's murder scene from the 2001 production of Tosca (Studen...

Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online! This week we will take a look at Giacomo Puccini's Tosca presented by the Opera Company of Philadelphia . We will look at scenes from Act I, discuss the on going celebration of Italy's 150th anniversary of unification, and take a look at upcoming opera events. Video Clips of the Week: This week we will look at the love triangle between Floria Tosca, Mario Cavaradossi, and Baron Scarpia. The first clip is the Act I love duet between Tosca and Cavaradossi (student booklet pg 19, 1st column, Cav.-"But now you must let me work" to pg 20, 2nd column, Tos.- "She is so good! But let her eyes be black ones!"). Unknown to Tosca, she has interrupted a surprise meeting between Cavaradossi and the political prisoner Angelotti. Tosca interprets the whispering she hears as a meeting between Cavaradossi and an unknown lover. The scene begins with Cavaradossi asking Tosca to leave so he can return to his work. Tosca's jea...

Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. This week we will conclude our three part series on the The Curtis Institute's production of Leoš Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen which is being presented in association with Kimmel Center Presents . Video Clips of the Week: The first clip is a continuation of the animated film. This clip includes the vixen's encounter with the badger, the tavern scene, and the vixens first meeting with the Fox. The second clip is from the Act III Scene I Finale and is from a live production. The Vixen and the Fox have married. They have had many children and have settled into married life. The Vixen's children find a dead rabbit that the poacher Harašta has left as a trap for the Vixen. The Vixen sees through the ruse and mocks the poacher for thinking that she would be so stupid to fall for such a simple trick. The children scamper off leaving the Fox and Vixen alone. The Fox asks the Vixen if she knows how many children they have. When...

This week we will continue our three part series on the The Curtis Institute's production of Leoš Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen which is being presented in association with Kimmel Center Presents . We will continue to follow the story of the Vixen. Video Clip of the Week! We will continue to follow the story of the Vixen. Time has passed since the Vixen was captured by the Forrester. Although the vixen has grown up in captivity, she still longs for freedom. Frustrated at being teased by the Forrester's children the Vixen snaps at them and tries to make a daring escape. She is caught by the Forrester and tied up. After struggling vainly with her bonds the Vixen eventually falls asleep and dreams of freedom. She is aroused from her sleep by the Rooster and his flock of Hens. The Vixen scolds the Hens for blindly following the Rooster then attacks the flock. In the following commotion the Vixen is able to jump the fence and escape. The first clip shows the interlude betwee...

Welcome students and teachers to Opera Online. This week we will look the The Curtis Institute's production of Leoš Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen which is being presented in association with Kimmel Center Presents . Creating a world where humans and creatures of the forest mingle together, Janáček's opera explores the natural cycle of life. Today, we’ll start by taking a look at two different interpretations of the opera. Video Clip of the Week: Janáček’s original inspiration for The Cunning Little Vixen was a comic strip by Rudolf Tesnohlídek called "Vixen Sharp-Ears". The following two videoclips are excerpts from the first act. In this scene we are introduced to the young Vixen and the old Forester. By chasing a frog Vixen wakes the napping Forester and is captured by him. The first clip is an English adaption of The Cunning Little Vixen . Like Janáček’s original inspiration, the director, Geoff Dunbar, decided to use animation to illustrate the opera. Th...

Students in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Sounds of Learning program saw the final dress rehearsal of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at the Academy of Music. Inspired by Shakespeare's play, this R&J was updated to the present day world of fashion! The Capulets and Montagues are now warring fashion houses looking to squash each other for market share and brand supremacy. Now that you've studied the opera and seen it, what were your impressions? Tell us what you think and post your reviews here! Did you like the opera and why? Which was your favorite character and why? Did you like the costumes and sets? Who was your favorite singer? Which singer had the best and most impressive singing voice? Your review should be at least 50 words or more. Please include your first name, school and grade in your post. Don't forget to support your opinion! Click here if you want to learn more about these operas, the singers in the production, an...

Inspired by the fashion and glamour to be found in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's new production of Romeo and Juliet, the students of St. Mary Interparochial School, 7th and 8th grade in Donna Bridy's class, have made their own costume and couture designs.

This week we'll take a look at the powerful scene where Mercutio is slain by Tybalt who is in turn slain by Romeo. For the first part, we'll see Franco Zefirelli's classic take on Shakespeare from 1968 up until the death of Mercutio. Then Baz Luhruman updates the scene on contemporary times for the death of Tybalt. Finally, we'll see the grand ensemble that closes the scene following Tybalt's death in Gounod's opera. VIDEOS OF THE WEEK Franco Zefirelli BAZ LUHRMAN CHARLES GOUNOD WEBSITE OF THE WEEK This week, we'll get to know Philadelphia native Stephen Costello , who sings Romeo in this production, and his real-life wife and costar, soprano Ailyn Pérez . Free Upcoming Opera Events There are two great ways to learn more about opera, Romeo & Juliet and more! On Sunday, February 6th, the Opera Company presents a free recital of music from Romeo and Juliet at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 2-3 pm. Visit A Taste of Opera online to learn mo...

This week our clips of the week will center on the famous Balcony Scene from Shakespeare's play. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" sounds a little different in French than in Shakespeare's tongue. We'll continue comparing the film versions by Franco Zefirelli and Baz Luhrman in addition to a videotaped version of the opera from the Royal Opera Covent Garden. VIDEOS OF THE WEEK Franco Zefirelli BAZ LUHRMAN CHARLES GOUNOD WEBSITE OF THE WEEK This week, take a moment to visit two websites with information about Verona, Italy, where the story takes place. While our production is set in modern times and in the world of fashion, it's important to have a sense of the history of the story. Plese Visit Verona's History and Juliet's Verona for a look at the alleged Capulet mansion! Free Upcoming Opera Events There are two great ways to learn more about opera, Romeo & Juliet and more! On Sunday, February 6th, the Opera Company presents a...

This week we'll begin our comparison of Romeo and Juliet by looking at the scene where the two lovers meet in Shakespeare's play and in Gounod's opera. We'll also have a peek at the Opera Company's latest Random Act of Culture and a free events on February 6th and February 12th. Video Clip of the Week When Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time at the Capulet ball, time seems to stand still in the excitement of the moment. We'll take a look at the same scene from the wildly popular and opulent 1968 film by Franco Zeffirelli which cast teenagers Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey in the roles, then in Baz Luhrman's updated version to "Verona Beach" with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio, then the same scene from the opera with Roberto Alagna and Leontina Vaduva from the Royal Opera Covent Garden in the min 1990s. How are they similar? How are they different? Which couple is the most innocent? Which honors Shakespeare's intentions most? Franco...

This week on Opera-Online we pay tribute to one of America's greatest singers, Shirley Verrett who passed away late last week at the age of 79. She was internationally regarded as a dynamic singing actress. Her voice was not just beautiful, but was amazingly powerful and her technique was impeccable. Ms. Verrett achieved recognition as one of the world's great artist. Born into a devout Seventh-day Adventists family in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1931, Ms. Verrett was raised in Los Angeles, California. She sang in church and showed early musical abilities, but initially a singing career was frowned upon by her family. Later she went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York and won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1961. Ms. Verrett's rare combination of vocal gifts, unequaled presence, and elegant style has made her a star at the world's great opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the B...

This week we honor National Opera Week - a week long celebration of the art form sponsored by OPERA America , a national service organization. The Opera Company of Philadelphia celebrated National Opera Week with a series of events launched by a massive public performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah . Over 650 singers from almost 30 organizations descended on Macy's in Center City Philadelphia to sing this well-known and well-loved favorite, accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ . With over 28,000 pipes, it's the world's largest pipe organ! It launches the Opera Company of Philadelphia's collaboration with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's Random Acts of Culture initiative which is dedicated to producing 1,000 random acts over the next three years. VIDEO CLIPS OF THE WEEK: In honor of National Opera Week and Random Acts of Culture, we showcase the Opera Company of Philadelphia's two random acts. The Hallelujah Chorus from Oct...

This week we'll meet tenor Jason Collins who sings the role of Cassio, who Iago suspects of being Desdemona's lover. We'll also pay tribute to the legendary Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland who passed away on Sunday, October 10th at the age of 83. Meet tenor Jason Collins This week our website of the week belongs to the Opera Company of Philadelphia's, but only because we want to direct you to a 4-part interview conducted by students from schools in Kentucky, Lancaster, the Poconos, and Montgomery County and OCP's Director of Community Programs, Michael Bolton, at MAGPI's studios in Philadelphia. Jason was born in South Carolina and educated at The Julliard School in New York City and at The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. He talked his role in Otello, about what it's like to be a singer, how he discovered his voice, got his start in his career, prepares a role, and much, much more. Below is PART ONE of the 4-part interview with Jason Coll...